A/N: I am so, so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! My ideas just wouldn't flow in writing, but it's done now. There will be one more chapter after this and I promise it will be up around Christmas and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, however I would love to at least have partial custody of some of the characters *sighs*

Chapter 4

"Come on, I know something that will make you feel better," Draco felt his spirits rising as her small hand clasped his own. He threw treats to the owls and let himself be pulled out to the steps of the owlery.

Draco found himself rushing through the corridors to Salazar only knew where. Ginny kept looking at him and grinning, so he figured it could not be too bad. Soon, he identified the path they were taking as the one leading to the Astronomy Tower. He was not quite sure if going there in their intoxicated condition was a good thing or not. However, if they could survive the pitch on broomsticks as high as the tower and less protected, he knew they would be fine to watch the stars.

"What's so special about this place?" he asked when they stepped out onto the tower's flat observation platform. It had been cleared of snow from the last snowfall, but had a dusting from the precipitation falling from the heavens.

"It's snowing," Ginny replied, "This place has the most magnificent view, especially in the winter. The whole castle sparkles and the grounds look beautiful."

All Draco could concentrate on however, was how the snowflakes kept catching on her light eyelashes and how graceful she looked twirling around in the snow. He caught one of her hands in his and wrapped his other around her waist. She laughed and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"There is no music," Ginny laughed into his shoulder.

"Ah, but it looked so fun while you were dancing that I had to join in," Draco teased.

They danced until too much snow had built up for them to move. When Draco stepped away, he gave a mock bow and kissed the back of her hand. Ginny surprised him by kissing him tentatively, though he responded quickly to the warmth of her lips. When she broke away for air, Draco saw a flush had crept onto her face. He laughed, but it was not his usual condescending, harsh laugh. It was pleasant, as though thanking the world that they were both there at that moment in time. Ginny's tinkling laugh accompanied his.

"I showed you something new, now it's your turn," Ginny told him, and Draco knew just the place.

"I'm starting to think that getting drunk is a very dangerous business. Quidditch, and towers, and who know what else," Ginny looked at Draco with amusement in her eyes. He simply raised an eyebrow and stared at her. She figured he was smarting from the memory of the owlery still and did not hold it against him, "So where to next?"

"Come on, we have to go get a broom, it's too far to wade through the snowdrifts," Draco responded.

"Are you serious," Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand and cast a summoning charm. When a broomstick came whizzing toward them, Ginny hopped on and looked at him impatiently after asking, "Wasn't that just so much faster?" Draco sneered at the redhead before jumping on the broom behind her.

During the flight, Ginny was very distracted by the heat emanating from his body. They were pressed rather close together on the broom and she could not quite concentrate on where he was taking them. She did not even blink when they took a nosedive off the side of the Astronomy Tower; maybe she was losing her mind. She did however realize when they entered the Forbidden Forest.

"Why did we go into the Forbidden Forest?" Ginny was curious, but not worried in the slightest. Sure, the forest was dangerous, but only if you were stupid and provoked something, or forgot your wand or something. She may not have been in Ravenclaw, but Ginny was not stupid. She doubted Draco would have been that foolish either, even if they had both been drunk.

"You have never heard of the hot springs in here have you?" Ginny could practically here the smirk in his voice. It was in the tone of his voice and it was completely unique to him.

"No, I have not, would you like to clue me in?" Ginny stopped herself from rolling her eyes because the action would be wasted on him. Neither could see the other's face the way they were on the broomstick.

"Well," Draco drawled with a hint of humor, "There are these pools of water tha-" He was cut off by a jab from Ginny's elbow, "I know what a hot spring is you prat, what I was asking was more along the lines of where they are, how long students have known about them, that sort of thing."

"They are right here," Draco said as the broom slowed to a halt. Before them was a series of five or six separate pools of water, all with steam coming off the top and a small ring around the sides of the water where all the snow had melted as it fell. Along one pool were small flowers no bigger than Ginny's thumbnail. She recognized them as being a rare potion ingredient they had discussed in class one day. There were some mushrooms on the bank of the next that were blue in color and seemed to exude their own glow. Ginny did not have the slightest idea as to what they could do, but felt it would be safer not to touch them. The only other pool with anything growing on the side was the pool the farthest away from where the broom had stopped. The flowering plants were small with jewel-toned blossoms ranged from ruby, to sapphire, to emerald, to opal, and ever shade in between. They all glimmered in the scant light allowed by the think forest canopy. Each color seemed to have it's own scent accompanying it. Ginny could smell a myriad of sweet and spicy aromas that were all distinct and lovely. The flora formed a perfect ring around the pool that she felt should not be crossed. Ginny could feel power seeping through the ground toward both her and Draco the longer they lingered close to it.

"Umm, Draco, do you know what that is?" Ginny indicated the jewel flowers.

"All I know is that it and the pool belong to the faeries," Draco replied, "Well, also, I know better than to touch it."

"Okay," Ginny could hear the warning in his voice and felt a sense of dejavu descend upon her. She distinctly remembered being told not to go near the ring before; however, she had not even known the springs existed until now. No, that was not quite right, they had obviously been there last night, or she would have remembered. So, Draco must have told her the night before.

"Just don't touch those," Draco told her, pointing to the most beautiful flowers she had seen in her life. The flowers were a myriad of colors that overwhelmed her with their wonderfulness.

"So what are we doing here if not to gaze at pretty flowers?" Ginny asked teasingly.

"We are going swimming," Draco said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"That's slightly problematic," Ginny replied.

"And why is that?" Draco asked.

"Number one, it is snowing. Two, I don't have a suit. And three, we are both drunk," Ginny pointed out, swaying a little as she stood from the broom. Draco waved his wand and her clothes had been replaced with a skimpy bikini.

"All fixed," Draco said and continued when he saw her raised eyebrow, "The hot springs are just that, hot, so the snow will not matter, you are now in a suit, and who cares?"

"Fine, I suppose we could swim," Ginny pretended to give in a heavy sigh, but she was thrilled to be going for a nice swim, especially in such lovely surroundings. It seemed like just the thing to do.

Draco had already jumped in one of the pools that was unadorned by flowers or mushrooms. Ginny walked leisurely over to him, enjoying the way his eyes followed the sway of her hips that accompanied each step forward she took. When her toes hit the water, she let a small hiss at the warmth and stepped completely in. The water's heat was welcome after dancing in the snow for who knows how long.

They lounged in the hot water for a long while before a strange noise filtered through to their intoxicated brains. It sounded like tinkling bells and made Ginny's heart sing. It was the sound of happiness and hope and beauty all wrapped up into one. They both strained their eyes to see in the faint glow that the strange flora around them produced. Ginny let out a delighted laugh when she saw the sprites. They were as varied in their color as the jewel tone flowers they were dancing over. Each was as unique as a snowflake, each of them more breathtaking than the last.

"They're gorgeous," Ginny breathed, taking in the luminous beings before her.

"Just don't leave the pool. Once they move on, we'll leave," Draco cautioned. Even in his drunken state, he knew better than to let the vivacious girl dance with the sprites. He may never get her back if he did. They watched the little winged creatures play for a time before they flew away, and then the two inhabitants of the pool followed suit.

Ginny's eyes lit up as she remembered the sprites and their antics. They twirled and played and splashed in the pool. She recalled a couple playing hide and seek in the flowers that acted as camouflage for them. She looked over and Draco's face opened a bit and allowed a smile to escape.

"Where did we go next?" Ginny asked, excited at the prospect of a place they had not already explored.

"We went to my room," Draco had come to the realization that the girl in front of him was amazing. She had spirit and fire and life that was something very new to him. It was as though she was a flame and he a willing moth who just wanted to be near the warmth. He had no doubt that his room was the next place they had gone, however, he was a bit curious as to how they had gotten there without the detection of Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris. Even he was not lucky enough not to have encountered them at least once with the amount of time they spent traversing the castle corridors.